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Jason Gardiner was one of the care workers at Winterbourne when the abuse was taking place. He admitted 2 counts of ill treatment but wasn't jailed today - he was given a 4 month suspended sentence and 200 hours of community service. This is what he had to say outside Bristol Crown Court.

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The company who ran Winterbourne View care home have issued a statement welcoming the end of court proceedings, after 11 staff admitted ill-treatment and neglect of patients in their care.

Castlebeck welcomes the finalisation of the legal process concerning the wholly unacceptable and criminal behaviour witnessed at Winterbourne View.

When those events at Winterbourne View Independent Hospital were exposed in May 2011, the board and the company’s then Chief Executive expressed their unequivocal and unreserved regret to the service users involved and their families.

They also gave a clear commitment to protect the safety and well-being of all those who use Castlebeck’s services and swift and decisive action was taken as soon as the allegations were raised almost 18 months ago.

– Castlebeck Ltd

Six of the accused were given immediate prison sentences ranging between six months and two years, after an undercover investigation by the Panorama programme discovered patients at the care home in Bristol were subjected to abuse from their carers.

Five other staff were given suspended sentences.

The incoming new Board and management have and will continue to reform the business to prevent this ever happening again.

A wide-ranging programme of improvements and changes has been undertaken and the new team at Castlebeck are committed to do all we can to avoid such events ever happening again.

However it should be noted that Castlebeck did not have the opportunity to comment on the Serious Case Review before it was published. Unlike other agencies cited Castlebeck was not represented on the enquiry panel. We do not accept all the comments made in the review.

The judge sentencing 11 care workers who between them admitted 38 charges of cruelty and neglect, has said the private hospital they worked at was run with a 'view to profit' and a 'culture of cruelty'.

Judge Neil Ford QC added that there was a scandalous lack of regard to the interest of patients at the Winterbourne View private hospital in Bristol, and that without the undercover work by the BBC's Panorama programme, the 'systematic abuse of people' would have otherwise continued.